Aromatherapy

As a form of alternative medicine, Aromatherapy is considered by some as essential to a person’s mood or well-being. It’s considered a holistic way of taking care of the body by enhancing the senses with pleasant smelling botanical oils. These aromatherapy oils can be utilized by massaging directly into the skin or by adding them to bathwater and the essential oils are found in aromatherapy products. Many will stimulate their olfactory nerves by inhalation of these essential oils. Perhaps the most common method of using an aromatherapy product is by diffusing the oils to scent an entire room. Considered by many as a way to promote relaxation, improve mood and reduce anxiety, and provide stress relief, essential oils are very much a part of society.

Aromatherapy has been extensively studied and is considered one of the fastest growing options in alternative medicine. Studies have been done to determine how different plant oils affect us and most of the properties of this research have found their way into an aromatherapy product. There are well over a hundred different essential oils with antiseptic properties. In order to get the maximum benefit out of these aromatherapy essential oils, they have to be made from pure, natural materials. Synthetic oils are not effective. These natural oils have been found to have anti-inflammatory, pain relieving, antidepressant and even expectorant properties. They also stimulate and relax our minds and bodies.

Hospitals and clinics are using aromatherapy for pain relief of women who are having babies, to relieve the pain and stress of cancer patients as they undergo chemotherapy and to assist many other patients who are recovering from various ailments. Even businesses are finding that using aromatherapy in the workplace can go a long way in affecting the moods of their employees and customers. Certain oils such as lavender have been found to calm anxiety and stress and are typically used in waiting rooms to calm clients or patients. Other oils like eucalyptus have been found to be effective in keeping employees alert in the workplace.

The term aromatherapy may lead one to assume this is all about smells. This isn’t necessarily true. In fact, most forms of aromatherapy involve rubbing the oils directly onto the skin. These essential oils have properties that can assist in relieving pain or healing discomfort. Some aromatherapists use these oils and herbs in their cooking as a form of therapy.

Using incense may be one of the oldest forms of aromatherapy. In ancient times, people would burn incense to release certain types of scents to assist in the senses. Incense is typically made with essential oils from plants.

Essential oils in their purest raw form are extremely potent. Because of this potency some oils can irritate skin or cause toxic reactions in individuals. These oils need to be diluted with other types of oils. Some citrus oils can cause an adverse result on the skin unless used correctly. Some prescription drugs mixed with certain types of essential oils can have a negative result on some individuals. When considering serious aromatherapy, it’s best to consult with someone who has a good base knowledge of essential oils and how to best use them.

There are literally thousands of aromatherapy products out on the market today. Many of them are used to scent a room and create certain types of moods but when one is considering real aromatherapy, consult with an aromatherapist to determine which type of essential oil you need for your desired result.